It was in the moments after Cristiano Ronaldo had thumped his penalty into Jens Lehmann's net that we saw the collective will that, in all probability, will make Manchester United worthy champions. This was no time for fancy, look-at-me knee-slides, or Cantona-esque posturing. Wayne Rooney went to collect the ball and then every player in red turned and sprinted en masse back to their own half. Rio Ferdinand could be seen pumping his fists, adrenaline surging through his body, screaming at his colleagues to get back in position.

After that dramatic little scene there was a sense of inevitability about what was to follow. Even though Arsenal continued to work their elaborate little triangles and Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that, on the balance of play, Arsène Wenger's players had legitimate grounds to feel they deserved something from the game, it had become a question of United's ability to hold their nerve when the heat of the pressure was rising dangerously close to intolerable.

A lesser team would have wilted but United have a fine understanding of the character that is needed to win the Premier League. Ferguson has not just assembled a pack of extremely gifted footballers he has brought together men of substance - experienced, strong-minded individuals who are willing to take responsibility when it matters and who, if things are not going particularly well, have the gumption to do something about it.

Ronaldo's penalty was a case in point. His 38th goal of a silver-lined season may not be remembered as one of the more eye-catching moments. Yet the most devastating attacker in English football needed the nerve of a bomb-disposal expert to stick the ball past Lehmann after his first effort had been disallowed because of Park Ji-sung's encroachment. Ronaldo buried his shot as if he were affronted that anyone could even doubt him.

"What pressure," Ferguson exclaimed afterwards, blowing out his cheeks in admiration. "And what a fantastic penalty. The courage, the ability ... it was only, what, six inches inside the post? Lehmann guessed the right way. But no goalkeeper in the world could have got to that. Marvellous strike."

Ferguson used the word "torture" to describe the different emotions to which he was subjected. He was also unhappy about the way his team distributed the ball, particularly in the first half, and he had some generous words for Wenger after the game.

Perhaps it was true, as well, that Arsenal were the better passing side. Yet it needs other qualities to win football matches sometimes and United possess these in abundance: maturity, perseverance, strength of character. "We produced something special," Ferguson acknowledged when he reflected on the reaction to going a goal down. "It was grit and determination," Ferdinand added. "We showed our work ethic to claw our way back."

Ferdinand is not everyone's idea of a natural captain but his form has been so consistently exceptional this season it is an injustice that he has not made it on to the Professional Footballers' Association's shortlist for player of the year. He is, however, getting other rewards.

The supporters who were once so reluctant to accept him as one of their own now bellow his name with genuine affection. At 29, Ferdinand thinks and plays these days like a senior professional. Ferguson, lest it be forgotten, tends to get these things right and the defender offered much more yesterday than just the usual quota of interceptions and headers. He even accepted the blame for Emmanuel Adebayor's goal when it was clear to everyone that his goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar, was badly at fault.

Van der Sar, incidentally, is becoming a bit of a worry to United's more observant supporters, and there are reasonable grounds to believe that the fit-again Ben Foster will keep him out of the side next season. In other words, a potential problem has already been solved. This is what separates United from the rest. Chelsea also operate with the theory of having two players for every position but they do not have United's strength in depth.

Here, Paul Scholes was strangely subdued, so Ferguson replaced him with Anderson - and the Brazilian immediately injected a new sense of urgency to United's midfield.

Carlos Tevez replaced Park and he, too, had a significant impact as the game was turned upside down. Ferguson spoke of having "two teams" and United's supporters would not be presumptuous now to start looking at possible dates for the title to be confirmed. For a club who once looked like being overtaken by Chelsea on a permanent basis, April 26 has a nice ring to it.